90-year-old ex-astronaut crashed on a plane while trying to do a loop (2 photos + 1 video)
10 June 2024
Yes, you understood everything correctly, the pensioner flew the plane himself. 
The tragedy occurred on Friday in a suburb of Seattle, Washington. A single-engine Beechcraft T-34 Mentor attempted a mid-air maneuver near Johns Island and crashed into the water.
The San Juan County Sheriff's Office said in a press release that the dispatch center received an initial message around 11:40 a.m. PT, which stated that "an older model aircraft was flying north-south then entered the water near the northern tip of Johns Island and sank."
The moment the plane collided with water was caught on video.
At the controls of the crashed plane was William Anders, one of the crew members of Apollo 8, the first manned spacecraft to orbit the Moon. The flight took place in 1968.
He was selected by NASA in 1964 as an astronaut and served as backup pilot on the Gemini 11 mission in 1966 and the Apollo 11 flight in 1969. According to NASA, Anders has logged more than 6,000 flight hours.
It was this man who took the legendary photograph of our planet from space.
“Suddenly I looked out the window and saw this magnificent ball. - Anders described his feelings - For me, this made me realize that the Earth is small, fragile and is not the center of the Universe"
William Anders' body is still being sought by emergency services.
NASA spokesman Bill Nelson said in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “Anders offered humanity one of the most profound gifts an astronaut can give. He traveled to the doorstep of the Moon and helped us all see ourselves."
